Religion
From Legonia
The Question of all questions: Why i am here? Where did i come from? And where i'll go? Like in every world, races and peoples of Legonia search answers in religion.
Religion is defined as belief in higher beeings called Gods or sometimes others like demongods or possible supernatural phenomenons, who rules or created the rules for this world. Most religions also deal about the question, what happens after death. Legonian religions can be separated in Monotheism (one god-believe) or Polytheism (multiple gods creating a pantheon).
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Creation myth
Although, ther're many different religions, the creation myths are vers similiar and all probably based on the same origin.
- See: Creation myth
Religions on the western continent
Monotheism
At beginning there was an endless nothing, and it was bored, so a big something was created, and it creates the world. In all kingdoms of the north this one and only god is praised in any form. It's the most known religion. The Northern Kingdom is easy in religion. The people believes in a basic energy, which created rules of physics and the lifeforms of Legonia. But it doesn’t act directly. So, the living cultures and races have their own responsibility to deal with the world and to respect its nature. A real living church doesn’t exist here, but after the death, people become part of the big something again. At least, some ceremonies are hold every year praising these thoughts. Other races and kingdoms have different kinds of believe. All followers of this monotheism together believe, that they will travel back to the big something after death, where endless calm and peace awaits.
Churches/cults
Temple of the big fire
The dwarves whorship „the big fire“. In their culture, the big something gave the element of fire to the dwarven race first. This legend based on the fact, that the dwarves invented the smithwork first and used the first iron weapons. So, all dwarven success and history is based on this holy event. Dwarven priests pray for good work, protection against cold, safty in the mountains and luck. Traditional festivals and ceremonies are hold every year like the winter celebration, the days of fire and the mountain sanctification. Under Dwarven Peak the biggest temple of the holy, big fire can be found, but there aren’t many regulary visitors.
Elvenpriesthood
Also the elves praise the big something but they believe in equality. Everything, gods, nature, animals and people are part of the same thing. So the elves want to serve and protect the nature and respect every kind of life and energy. In elven religion, at world’s end everything comes together for creating a new world if the old is gone.
Church of the big and only one
In Middle Kingdom people are strong-believing. Nearly every village has a church, cathedral or an abbey. Priests offers weekly worships and use magic in name of their god. Over centuries, the church created many rules, dogmata and principles.
Polytheism
Compared to the northern monotheism, the big something has a secondary role. Since the ancient Ark’tohl Empire and partly before, a pantheon of gods are in the minds of human, Ba’tohl and other races of the jungle. The big something is still power of creation, but isn’t prayed anymore. Instead, younger gods seem to lead the history of present. Every god excepting the big something has its own idol and temple.
The 7 official venerated:
Politics&church
Long ago, the heptarchy of the Skorpion Emirates has used the temple cults as political instruments and integrated the priests to the administration. The old myths and rules of the desert cultures are long-forgotten and partly distorted. The heptarchs are presented as god-choosen representatives on earth, so because there are 7 lords, only 7 temples survived, although there were over 20 gods originally known. That’s why the resting gods often have various meanings, which they hadn’t before. Every god has its own temple, which is leaded by a priesterhood and a high priest. The high priests of Arkos are traditionally also heptarchs everytime. So, if the heptarch die, not his first son, but the next high priest get the position. For the other heptarchs inheritance law is set, but if there aren’t any children high priests will be prefered if they want to become heptarch. At moment, the high priest of the temples Arkos and Jangalis are heptarchs at same time.
Churches/cults
The seven temples
The official church of the Skorpion Emirates has developed and praised the Ark'tohlian Pantheon. Every temple has a high priest and an own priesthood, which decides over the rules of their god. The seven temples aren't interested in truth, they just use their religion to gain more power and to manipulate the people of the Emirates.
Circle of elements
A small separation of priests who mainly whorship those gods, who are masters of the holy elements because only who controls these has real god-power.
So, the gods Arkos(fire), Onyxo(earth), Airos(wind), Okeanos(water) and the big something (mana) belong to the circle of elements-pantheon. Other gods are seen as unimportant for these priests. Of course, the great heptarchy of the Skorpion Emirates doesn't allow this religion, so its cult is living secretly.
Some lost souls doubt about the world and dream about a new start. Before this new beginning, chaos have to clear the running orders. These dark cults worship demongods , many black mages do it in hope to become lords in a new world. Demons are powerful, nearly immortal lifeforms, who are displaced from Legonia to safe the younger races. Driven by hate and eagerness for power, their goals are, to destroy the current world, became part of it again and leading as gods on it. Some demons are bound on specific locations, others in different spheres, but able to be evocated. Old myths tell about a magic dimensional cage, where the most evil demons were prisoned. As seal, a demon portal exists somewhere in Dragonia Vulcania. Breaking the spell would let them free and an eternal war between gods and demons will start. The religion of demonology is forbidden in all cultures by death penalty..
Churches/Cults
Dark worship of the high lords of the new world, of the unholy circle of demons, chaos and the last days
A secret church whorshipping demon gods in west Legonia. The most famous member was the The black mage.
The Cult
A secret organisation on the eastern continent. Their beginnings are uncertain, but they twist nature and life to such an extent that their followers sometimes look utterly corrupted.
Other religions
There are many different small religions in legonian cultures. On Fog Islands, elemental ghosts are praised, primitive tribes worship magicans and others, stupid ones like the Troggs praises simple nature phenomenons. About orcish religion we don’t know much, but they have shamanism to call for devine forces
